Heated debate on health premium. Finance Minister promises...

However, the committees rejected not the draft, but the motion to reject. A second reading of the draft is scheduled for Wednesday, and it may still be passed in the session that is just beginning.

In recent weeks and days, there has been no shortage of rationale for halting work on the project. A report by the SGH think tank was published last week, with recommendations - in the face of a gap of more than PLN 100 billion in the National Health Fund (2025-2027) - for increasing health premiums collected from various groups of insured, including those engaged in business. Experts also advocate seeking other sources of financing for the health care system, warning of its implosion, manifested by deepening restrictions on access to health care services.

Neither the report of the Warsaw School of Economics, nor the earlier report prepared by the Federation of Polish Entrepreneurs and the Institute of Public Finance, nor the discussion of the situation of health care finances during last week's Health Challenges Congress, which was maintained in a rather catastrophic tone, discouraged ruling coalition MPs from continuing work on the government's draft. - In the name of privileges for one group, for entrepreneurs, you want to reduce the financing of the health care system, which is no longer financing itself," said MP Marcelina Zawisza, presenting a motion to reject the project. - You will heal, they - the patients - will not! - she warned.

- Mr. Chairman, briefly - I think you are behaving irresponsibly," Adrian Zandberg said to the KFP chairman leading the session. - We have a huge financial hole in the National Health Fund. You have planned a budget that lacks - slightly counting - 20 billion zlotys for health services. I think you're bidding with Mr. Mentzen , who will break the Polish state faster, you're taking money out of the public health care system," he commented.

The speech of the leader of the Together party was interrupted several times by members of the Civic Coalition. - You are behaving like the politicians of Law and Justice in the previous term, you are interrupting while speaking," commented Zandberg when he was allowed to speak. - "It's embarrassing, you are 'taking' money out of the public health care system. This will lengthen the queues. You will have thousands of people on your conscience who will not get help. You are irresponsible," he reiterated.

Coalition MPs, defending the government's bill, the financial effect of which from the OSR is 4.6 billion zlotys, although experts estimate that the loss of revenue to the NFZ could be as much as 6 billion zlotys annually, stressed that the Finance Ministry had promised to compensate for this loss from the state budget in the form of subsidies. Law and Justice deputies abstained from voting on the motion to reject the bill, and all indications are that they will behave the same way in the final vote on the bill.